


Motek, Destroyer of Clothes

by lillianmmalter



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Bernese Mountain Dog, F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-01 19:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19183954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillianmmalter/pseuds/lillianmmalter
Summary: She's a sweetheart of a dog, but she is still a puppy. Ana adores her anyway.





	Motek, Destroyer of Clothes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SnowyMary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowyMary/gifts).



> According to the internet, the following translations apply:
> 
>  _Lurkó_ is Hungarian for urchin or elf, like a mischievous child.  
>  _Motek_ is Hebrew for sweetheart or sweet one.

Ana plucked a long, white hair off the pastel fabric for Miss Carter’s new dress as she pinned the pattern pieces into place. She smiled over at Motek, who panted at Ana adoringly from her dog bed, and got back to work.

Fifteen minutes later, Ana plucked two long black hairs and a slightly wavy rust-colored hair off the bundle of cloth as she maneuvered the silky fabric under the needle of her sewing machine. Motek hadn’t moved from her spot in the corner of the room, and Ana had been sure she’d thoroughly cleaned all her work surfaces before starting this latest project, yet the dog hair was there. It clung to the silk as though it had barbs.

“You’re being very naughty, my _lurkó_ ,” Ana chided softly, “I don’t know how you’re doing it, but I can’t have your hair all over Miss Carter’s dress. She’s going to be wearing it undercover, and we can’t have you accidentally tipping anyone off that she’s not who she says she is, can we? The littlest thing could ruin her.”

The war was over now, but old habits died hard. And besides, spycraft was its own form of warfare and always had been. It seemed Ana was destined to always work with spies.

Ana double checked her notes from her visit to Charles James’ showroom in New York, then sewed her first seam.

By the time the pale blue ballgown was finished, Ana had carefully plucked enough dog hair out of its seams and folds to make another small dog.

Motek panted happily in her corner nearly the entire time. 

 

 

 

Edwin fussed about his suits. He brushed and tutted and brushed at them some more.

“Come to bed, Edwin,” Ana chided, impatient to have him in her arms again. She never slept as well as she did cuddled up near him. It was one of the reasons she was secretly glad of their small bed, which she insisted they couldn’t possibly ever replace. Edwin had agreed with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

Edwin sighed, shoulders slumped. “I simply can’t make it look presentable.”

Ana rolled her eyes. “It’s fine.”

“Ana, there is dog hair all over my suit. Yesterday I found a trail of dried slobber all over the hem of my trousers! After I’d already left the house!”

Ana giggled. She couldn’t help it. She did so love when Edwin was put out by silly things. He became so charmingly British.

“She loves you!” Ana teased.

“No, she loves you. To everyone else, she is a menace.”

“Miss Carter doesn’t agree with you.”

Edwin straightened to his full height. “Miss Carter loves anything that allows her to be physical, of course she would love a dog to wrestle and play with. I rather suspect it’s one of the few ways she allows herself to show affection.”

Ana arched a well-groomed eyebrow, but Edwin didn’t seem to realize how else that statement might be taken. She sighed and snuggled deeper into her pillows.

“If you don’t come to bed, I’m getting up and letting Motek out of her kennel so she can sleep up here with me.”

From said kennel at the foot of their bed, Motek let out an adorable, whuffling snore.

Edwin’s eyes turned to saucers.

“Let the dog sleep in our bed?”

“Yes. I’m sure she’d be quite contented. She’s a lapdog at heart, you know.”

Edwin thrust the clothes brush onto the top of the dresser, switched off the lights, and climbed beneath the covers. Ana molded herself to him the instant he made the contented hum that signaled he was comfortable. Her smile stayed firmly in place as they both fell deep asleep.

 

 

 

“Naughty dog!” Edwin said, ushering Motek ahead of him before shutting the door of the kitchen with a resolute click.

Motek made a dissatisfied groaning sound at him before she spotted Ana and trotted over to her with a bark, butt wiggling with the force of her tail wags.

“What has happened?” Ana asked, kneeling down to scritch at Motek’s head.

Just then, Miss Carter elbowed her way into the kitchen, took one look at Edwin, and burst into hysterics. Even more unusual, Edwin joined her.

“Edwin? Miss Carter?”

“Howard,” Miss Carter managed to choke out before giving up and actually cackling, using Edwin’s shoulder and the kitchen door as supports to keep her upright.

Edwin giggled so hard that he snorted. The rude noise managed to sober him a little, allowing him to at least stand upright again, even if he was pointedly not looking in Miss Carter’s direction.

“Mr. Stark has a guest over tonight.”

“Well, had,” Miss Carter corrected, snorting herself. “I’m fairly certain she left just after you dragged Motek away.”

“Motek did not assault one of Mr. Stark’s guests?” Ana asked, horrified.

Edwin and Miss Carter looked at each other and cracked up again, Edwin at least having enough sense of himself to shake his head no in answer.

“Who was it?” Ana asked now, for once curious about one of Mr. Stark’s conquests.

”Some young, blonde thing who had no idea what she was getting herself into,” Miss Carter said disparagingly, wiping carefully at the tears streaming from her eyes.

“I should hope not,” Edwin said archly before breaking down in to momentary giggles again.

“Edwin!” Ana chided.

“Sorry, Dear. Mr. Stark was escorting the young lady through the door and was greeted by Motek.”

“And?” Ana prompted, when nothing further was forthcoming.

“And then Motek decided she needed to relieve herself on his shoes,” Miss Carter continued, snorting once before falling to silent giggles, unable to contain herself further.

“No!” Ana exclaimed, beaming at them.

“I’m afraid so,” Edwin said, having regained some degree of his professional calm. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I need to go clean up the entryway.”

He left, and Ana vigorously scratched Motek’s head. Miss Carter gasped for breath as she attempted to calm herself down.

“Good girl, Motek! Wonderful job!” Ana praised, giggling a little herself before turning stern. “Though you should never do it again. This was a one time naughtiness, you hear me?”

Motek grinned up at her, panting happily.

 

 

Miss Carter entered the living room, mud all along one side of her work dress and her silk hose thoroughly ruined.

“Miss Carter!” Ana exclaimed. “Whatever has happened?”

Miss Carter blinked, her expression melting from minor annoyance to patiently amused.

“Motek was playing outside when I got home. I decided to play fetch with her for awhile and she decided she’d rather play tug of war through the rosebushes. I’m afraid the sprinklers were on, so you’ll have a rather wet and smelly dog on your hands.”

Ana was horrified. Yes, Motek was still a puppy, if a rather large one, but she’d been working with her every day on her obedience training. Dragging Miss Carter through the mud in the landscaping simply would not do.

Before Ana could properly apologize, however, Motek came careening into the room as well, nails clicking and sliding across the tile in an uncoordinated rush. She barked upon seeing Ana, then attempted to turn toward her mid-stride, her wagging tail throwing her even more off balance.

“Motek, no! Sit!”

Motek slid to a stop and barked.

“Sit!”

Motek sat, her butt still wiggling enough that she couldn’t possibly sit still. At least she wasn’t dragging mud through the house anymore. Ana rewarded her with one of the treats she always kept in her pocket now, and scritched at her head.

“You are too dirty to be in here, _Lurkó_. Bath time!”

Motek whined.

“I don’t want to hear it. Bath time! Now!”

Motek headed in the direction of the bathroom with the low-sided tub Ana had decided to use for her baths, head turning back toward them pitifully halfway to the door.

“Bath time!” Ana repeated.

Motek trotted out of the room.

“I am so sorry, Miss Carter,” Ana said, turning back to her for a moment. “I’ll mend or replace your things.”

“You’ve got that dog better trained than some of the SSR’s agents,” Miss Carter said, amusement pulling at her smeared red lips.

“Well, I’m working on it.”

“I’d love to know how you do it.”

Ana smiled and invited her along, walking them quickly toward the bathroom lest Motek become distracted and create a mess elsewhere in the house. Miss Carter trailed behind her, carefully stepping over the smear of mud Motek had left on the floor.

 

 

Ana woke to growling.

It took her a few moments to wake up enough to realize that the growling was not from the beast in her dream, but from the large puppy kenneled at the foot of her bed.

“Do stop that,” Edwin hissed. “You’ll wake Ana and she needs her rest.”

It was only as he spoke that Ana realized he wasn’t in bed with her, but crouched down in front of the kennel.

Ana yawned and stretched. “Edwin? What is it?”

Edwin flinched, but stood to better address her. “Not to worry. I’ve got everything well under control.”

Motek barked and whined at the latch.

“Perhaps she needs to tinkle,” Ana suggested.

“We let her outside before bed for a reason,” Edwin grumbled, but he was already bending down again to release the latch.

Motek sprang from the kennel, making an odd assortment of growls and whines, but was thwarted from actually leaving the room by their closed bedroom door. Ana’s brow crinkled in worry; she never acted like that if all she needed was to go outside.

Edwin looked similarly perturbed by Motek’s behavior.

“Do you think there’s an intruder?” Ana asked, sliding out of bed.

“Not to worry. It’s likely just another one of Mr. Stark’s guests. I’ll go check, shall I?”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Ana–”

“I will not hear any argument,” she said, throwing her robe on with an artful twirl.

Edwin’s shoulders drooped. “If you insist,” he said, pulling on his own robe and belting it smartly.

He opened the door and Motek shot out into the hallway, barking and growling.

“Motek! Stop that!” Edwin hissed. “You’ll wake the entire house.”

Motek immediately doubled back and darted behind him, fur still ruffled up threateningly, and whined up at him.

“You useless beast,” Edwin chided quietly. “What if Ana were here alone? You’d leave her to fend for herself? To protect you rather than the other way around?”

“Edwin, I am not helpless,” Ana hissed.

“Of course not, Dear.”

Ana rolled her eyes at him, but her stomach gave a worried quiver. She did not like being home alone anymore, it was true. What she liked even less, though, was the thought that someone dangerous had possibly broken in while she and her family were there.

They entered the main part of the house, Edwin leading them with Motek occasionally charging ahead to growl only to run back behind them in fear at each shift in the nighttime shadows. Then, ahead of them, one of the shadows moved in a distorted, inhuman manner.

Ana held back a scream just as Motek charged ahead, aiming for the creature’s feet. Edwin shouted at the same time the creature did. Motek barked. Ana, preferring to see her enemies where possible, clicked on the light.

On the ground, Chief Sousa wrestled with a particularly mouthy Motek, who was going after the buttons on his pajamas, tail wagging furiously.

“Motek! Leave it!” Ana called.

Motek whined, but did not stop gnawing at the Chief’s pajamas.

“Motek, sit!”

The dog sat, turning her head upside down to gaze happily up at Ana. Her tongue lolled wetly from her mouth.

“Chief Sousa, what on earth are you doing here?” Edwin asked, helping the man regain his footing. He looked not-so-secretly delighted at Chief Sousa’s presence in his nightwear.

Chief Sousa blushed. “I got up to get a drink of water. Didn’t think I’d wake up the whole house doing it.”

Two of the buttons on his nightshirt were now missing, and there was a tear beside the placket. Ana resolved to sneak it away to mend it as soon as he was no longer wearing it.

“I see,” Edwin said, all business. “Well, if you would like to retire to bed again, I shall clean up this mess and prepare an extra plate for breakfast tomorrow. Would omelets be acceptable?”

Adorably, the Chief’s blush deepened. “Sure. Omelets sound swell. I’ll just, um, be going then.”

He nodded at both of them and made his way out of the room and back down the hall to Miss Carter’s suite. He moved remarkably quickly considering he had only one crutch and one leg to work with. Ana decided right then that she would knit him a pair of house socks for the holidays, with grabby bits on the foot of the left one to give him better traction when walking without his false leg.

“Really, Motek, we must work on your aversion to overnight guests,” Edwin said, taking hold of the dog’s collar to lead her back to their rooms. “It is most inhospitable of you to behave like this. What if he didn’t want to come back?”

His voice trailed off as he walked with Motek down the hall. Ana giggled as she followed them back to bed. Getting a dog was truly the best compromise Ana had ever won from her husband.


End file.
